1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved cleaning element for a vehicle washing apparatus and, more particularly, to such a cleaning element which is lubricated by a liquid from the inside thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many different kinds of devices are known in the art for washing vehicles, such as rotating brush assemblies, cleaning curtains and/or other cleaning elements.
A common problem associated with various types of automatic vehicle washing devices is that abrading occurs to the surface of a vehicle during a scrubbing operation. This is particularly true in the case of washing curtains which contact the top, sides and other surfaces of a vehicle. These curtains are usually made of synthetic material which is relatively stiff such a woven or felted fabric having virtually no pile. The rubbing action of these curtains against the surfaces of a vehicle as relative movement occurs between the curtains and the vehicle can cause abrading, scratching and other damage to the surfaces of the vehicle. One way to lessen any such damage is to make certain that a sufficient amount of liquid is applied to the curtains to lubricate or wet the surfaces thereof as scrubbing of the vehicles takes place. Accordingly, there is a need in the vehicle washing field for a curtain cleaning element which is sufficiently lubricated to clean the surface of a vehicle without causing any undue damage to the surfaces of the vehicle.